The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-11-04
The Strike at Groton Gorge.
SATURDAY Night.

Saturday Night.
Arethusa Allen was only eighteen
when she came to Groton Gorge to
take charge Of the district schools
slight, dark-eyed slip Of a thing. with
a low voice, and such a shy, timid
way that the big girls and the rebel
lious boys at once jumped to the con-
clusion that she would be conquered
at onc in her capacity Of school
ma'am."
They discovered Cheir mistake,
however, in a very brief period Of
time. Miss Allen might be quiet, but
she had the spirit OF a Joan Of Arc.
She reduced her little flock to order,
and she kept them there, too.
Mrs. Binns, who presided owe the
Gorge House. also bore testimony in
behalf of Arethusa Allen.
II didn't s'pose, when | first see her,
that she would amount to a row Of
pins" said Mrs. Binns. who weighed
three hundred pounds and stood five
feet eight in her stockings. "a slim,
schoolgirl lookin' creetur like thatl
And ] hadn't a room to spare, and /
didn't see how / could possibly accom-.
modate her. But she spoke up so
pretty like that she hadn'tno friends
and didn't know where to go, SO says
Il: If you don't mind o room over
the laundry, lean clear out some Of
the stores and put up a cot bed till
the season is over. It's a noisy place,
day times says !, with them Chinese
cacklin' and screechin.' but it's still
and peaceable at nights. And if you'll
help me make out the bills and keep
accounts, Miss Allen,' says ], IN CON
slider it in your board, Tor / amt no
scholar and never was.'"
Mrs. Binns was an ungainly creature
to look at, but sine was as. beautiful at
heart as the Venus di Medici's self,
and Arethusa soon felt herself at home
in the little room yer the laundry,
whose windows looked out at the
thread like fall of q silver cascade and
the unfathomable gloom OF the fir
glens beyond. For Groton Gorge was
as lovely q place as ever leaned from
mountain-plateau over the misty val
ley low; and the Groton House was
full OF city boarders.
Nor was the domestic-s staff con-
temptible. Mrs. Binns had all her
servants from the city during the sum
m~er.season, and to all appearances
everything went on velvet.
But one foggy August morning Mrs.
Binns awakened to find herself racked
in every Joint by acute rheumatisms
and utterly incapable Of moving.
She sent for Mrs. Mackenzie, the
cook, to give the days orders; but
Mrs. Mackenzie did not wait to hear
about roasting chickens and joints Of
spring lamb before she began or her
own account:
Sorry to Inconvenience you.
mama. said Mrs Mackenzie, with her
arms akimbo; "bnt we ladies and gen
mentle down stairs have concluded to
ask for an increase ofsaiary. And until
you have conceded to our demands.
we shall be impelled 70 resist from
work"
Mrs. Binns opened her eyesmide.
sAin't / payin' you good wages al
ready?" said she. and / can't afford
to pay no more-not a cent"
Mrs. Mackenzie took q roll OF paper
out OF her apron andSspened it.
a have here, ma'am," aaid she,
pursuing up her thin lips, ''the sigma
lures OF all the ladies and gents at
present assistin' in the mediterranean
vexises down stairs including the four
walters of the colored gender, and the
two wash-Iaundrles and we won'tnone
OF us agree to stay anotherhour with
out you'll agree in commentary within,
ma TO rise our salaries.
And Mrs. Mackenzie tossed her head
in spitetul satisfaction.
Mrs. Binnssank back on her pillows
II can't give no answer" she said,